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Can You Seek Compensation For A Drunk Driving Accident On New Year’s Eve?

There are two things many people associate with New Year’s Eve: the ball falling in Times Square, and fears about those who are driving drunk after partying too hard and not handing over the keys. If you are involved in a drunk driving accident on New Year’s Eve in the state of Georgia, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.

Georgia Drunk Driving Statistics

In the state of Georgia, 12,000 people die every year as a result of being in an accident with a drunk driver. This number is huge, as it accounts for 32 percent of all drunk driving-related fatalities nationwide.

Nearly 250,000 Americans are injured in a DUI-related accident each year. This means that a person is injured every two minutes in this country as a result of this type of accident. Someone is killed in a drunk driving accident in the U.S. every 45 minutes. With these statistics, it is an unfortunate reality that your chances of being involved in a DUI-related accident are a real possibility. If you or a loved one have been in one of these accidents, an Atlanta car accident lawyer can help.

Georgia BAC Laws

Any driver in the state of Georgia who is driving with a BAC (blood alcohol content) of .08 is legally impaired. This means that, by law, a driver with a .08 BAC is unable to drive competently and is more likely to cause an accident – and not only that, but a more serious accident.

As a person’s BAC goes up, so too does the probability that he or she will get into an accident. For example, a person with a .08 BAC is at least 11 times more likely to get into an accident than a sober person. In fact, someone with a BAC that is only slightly high at .02 percent is still more likely to have an accident than someone who has not had anything at all to drink.

Someone with a high BAC who causes an accident can be ordered to pay the victim punitive damages, as well as compensation for the damages and injuries they cause. The purpose of punitive damages is to punish the driver for his or her reckless conduct, and to hopefully dissuade them from doing something similar in the future.

Proving Liability

To prove the other driver was at fault for your accident, you must have legitimate proof. If you choose to hire a lawyer to represent you in your case, he or she will ask for the following evidence, either from you or the other side, to help you build your case:

Police reports

Witness contact information

911 tapes

Breathalyzer or field sobriety test results

Video from the police car

The more you have of the above, the better. The clearer a picture you can show that the other driver was at fault for the accident, the more likely the court will award you damages for your suffering.

Statute Of Limitations

In the state of Georgia, you only have two years from the date of the accident to file your claim. This may seem like plenty of time in the beginning, but time flies, especially when you’re recovering from your injuries and dealing with mountains of paperwork. The earlier you file your claim, the better. Not only does it show you are serious about your damages, but the other driver’s insurance company will be less likely to accuse you of making up your story, or not really needing the money.

If your deadline is fast approaching, though, fear not. Our lawyers can help you file a comprehensive claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Contact us ASAP, and we can get the ball rolling for you.

If You Were The Victim Of A New Year’s Eve DUI Accident, Call Us!

New Year’s Eve should be a time for making resolutions and reflecting on the prior year, either reminiscing about the good times or being all too happy to say goodbye to the bad. No one wants to start the new year off by dealing with the fallout from a car accident, but that is unfortunately a reality that happens all too often.

Start the new year off right, and let us worry about the details of your claim. Fill out the form to the right or call us at (404) 341-6555 to speak with one of our skilled car accident lawyers.

We offer a free consultation with no obligation to retain, and we will review your case and advise you of whether you are likely to receive compensation. We will then give you on what you should do next, even if you choose to take your next steps without us. We don’t collect any fees unless you win, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. Call today!